The present invention relates to a centrifuge drum for clarifying or separating centrifugates, with at least one skimmer accommodated in a skimming chamber to divert the clarified or separated liquids and with a stationary intake pipe extending through an intake space that rotates along with the drum and consists of a vestibule and of an intake chamber, whereby the intake chamber communicates with the separation space in the drum through channels, resulting in a choking effect that extensively fills the intake chamber.
A centrifuge drum of this type is known from German Patent No. 3 019 737. It allows the centrifugate to be supplied gently. It has for that purpose choking structures that extensively fill the intake chamber at a prescribed intake flow. There are, however, drawbacks to this known drum. Even a slight variation in the prescribed intake flow will either prevent the intake chamber from filling or will cause it to overflow, because the resistance produced by the choking structures varies with the square of the flow. Since centrifuge drums of the same size are operated at a wide range of outputs, it is necessary to keep a wide selection of choking structures on hand. The intake pipe and the intake chamber must also be adapted to the particular intake flow because it is necessary to maintain minimum flow rates. These drawbacks, furthermore, are unavoidable when the intake flow varies while the drum is in operation.